Smoke Signals: Start the season off right

Bam! A home run!

The crowd goes wild!

He tips his cap to the stands after crossing home plate.

Okay, so it’s my house, not a dugout. And it’s my back yard, not a ball field.

Oh, and that homer: a slow-smoked pork shoulder or brisket or ribs. The crowd? My wife.

At this time of year, I can’t help but feel like one of the Boys of Summer, eager at the start of a long season.

Even if you are the type who grills and slow-smokes through the winter, you realize you were training and keeping in shape.

Barbecuing, like baseball, should be fun.

“Play with your food,” says Michael Fay, president of the Mid-Atlantic Barbecue Association. “Never barbecued a pork butt? Try it. What’s the worst that can happen? The main thing is to play, and have fun.”

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